Dr. Patrick Champey taking a “selfie” while checking the alignment of the MaGIXS instrument.

Dr. Patrick Champey (OSE, Phd '22) taking a 'selfie' while checking the alignment of the NASA MaGIXS instrument.

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The Optical Science and Engineering (OSE) is an interdisciplinary graduate program between the Colleges of Science and Engineering. Optics stands today as an area of major scientific and technological importance. It is not only an enabling technology for multi-discipline work, but is also widely recognized as a discipline in its own right. Optics is central in communication technology, biotechnology, nanotechnology, information processing, storage, and display as well as in health care and life sciences, remote sensing, national defense and industrial manufacturing.

Optical Science & Engineering, PhD

The program spans great diversity as it moves from the fundamental physics of light and its interaction with matter to the design and development of new optical systems for a wide variety of applications such as optical computing & communications, and space-based telescopes.

Most of the OSE research is housed in the four-story, $10.6 million Optics Building. The OSE program has access to, and utilizes the resources of the Center for Applied Optics (CAO) on the UAH campus, the National Space Science and Technology Center, and the Marshall Space Flight Center at the US Army Redstone Arsenal.

Because students will come into this program with strong but diverse undergraduate and graduate training, the multi-disciplinary curriculum has been structured on a common basis for all entering students, but will compensate for individual differences and provide depth in specific areas. A total of 48 semester hours of graduate course work and a minimum of 18 semester hours of dissertation research are required. The student will complete three study phases, punctuated by three program examinations, which include the Preliminary Examination, the Qualifying Examination, and the Final Examination. In addition, all requirements of Graduate School must be met to remain in good standing.


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